Computer Spot

The toughest to fight in any computer is a virus that has already gotten into your system, snooped into your files and multiplied to the point that it hogs your hard disk space and slowly eats at your system. Let’s admit it, we’re scared of these viruses and we want to get rid of them. Here are very useful tips for protecting your PC:

Making use of the firewall

Windows operating system has the firewall for a reason. For those who are connected to the Internet 24/7, the firewall is the basic way to protect your PC. Check if your firewall is on by going to the control panel of your Windows PC. Firewalls keeps your computer away from malicious software (malware), worms, and Trojan viruses. Also, it prevents other people from snooping in your files and applications.

You can also download firewall software off the net if you want more protection for your system, but the basic firewalls work.

Download a trusty antivirus software

These days, when you have no antivirus software, your PC is vulnerable to virus attacks, especially when inserting your friends flash disks in your USB ports. There are already a variety of viruses sticking themselves to flash disks then automatically transferring it to the PC.

It would be really helpful to have an antivirus which is regularly updated off the internet. It’s also good to always have it active all the time to detect virus in real time.

Check if your Windows operating system is getting updates

Never ignore the Windows update bubble popping out of the lower right part of your screen. Your Windows operating system will be fully protected by downloading updates. These updates often include anti-malware updates or improvement for different Windows utilities to avoid vulnerabilities in the system.

Though most of the time, Windows automatically downloads updates and let you install them manually or automatically when you shut down your system.

Being wary of suspicious e-mails and various zipped files

Don’t open everything in your inbox. This is almost common knowledge, however, sometimes; curiosity gets the better of us. Inspect the sender and the subject before opening an e-mail and downloading anything off the attachments. Some of the most deadly virus hides in e-mails.

Lastly, if you download files from limewire, for example, be very careful on downloading zipped files. Check if the file is described in the right size and it looks trustworthy enough before downloading it.

The bottom line

Being careful and doing the right things will help your PC avoid getting viruses. In the end, it’s not up to the PC to do the work, but it’s up to the user to configure and protect the PC himself; which is the best way.